Makeup Musings on Mascara – Makeup and Beauty Blog

You know what’s kinda funny to me? Those scenarios when people ask what your must-have makeup items are for a deserted island scenario. Presumably the least of your worries would be whether or not you had your favorite lipstick or blush. If there’s anything I’ve learned from side-eye watching “Alone” with El Hub, it’s that you want to take care of food and shelter first, not your brows.

At the same time, I gotta say that I would low-key freak out a little if I went someplace and forgot a tube of mascara.

In my journey of going from wearing all the products to only wearing the bare minimum in makeup, there’ve been several items I’ve happily bid adieu: orange color corrector, face primer, eyeshadow base, brow gel (!) and brow highlighter pencil, among other things. I don’t miss them.

There are items I don’t wear right meow, but I still think of them fondly because I’ve always loved them and probably will come back to them someday when I have a little more breathing room, like bronzer (still love it), powder (le sigh!) and foundation.

But one thing I’ve realized I could never say goodbye to is mascara. I was putting it on in my car yesterday (because that’s how I roll now, ha), and after I layered on that first coat, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, “Ah, there she is.” I just feel more like me when I’m wearing it, you know?

I can’t remember when I realized that life is much better with mascara; I must’ve been in college? Even though I wore makeup in high school, for some reason, my mom wouldn’t allow me to wear mascara. I basically wore whatever makeup I wanted, bright lipstick, loads of blush, eyeshadow, you name it, but mascara was forbidden fruit in my house.

I wish I could remember that first tube. I’m guessing it was Clinique because they had a counter at the college bookstore, and when I’d go there to buy my books at the start of the quarter, I’d check out at the Clinique counter and pick up a few things.

Hmm. There’s a chance it was the green and pink Maybelline mascara because that was all the rage back in the day.

Maybe I’ll remember it in my sleep tonight, LOL!

At one point in time during my makeup journey, I would layer multiple mascaras on my lashes. At the height of wearing ALL THE THINGS, I had a specific mascara for locking in the curl, then another for length and then another just for my lower lashes.

The only tube I roll with these days is a keeper from Rare Beauty. If you haven’t tried it, you’ve gotta get it in your life ASAP. I’m talking major lash lift, curl and length, and absolutely no smudging, even when it’s hot out. I need to use an oil-based cleanser to take it off at the end of the day, but that’s no biggie. The only thing I don’t like about it is kinda silly; the pale pink tube gets dirty so easily and that gets on my nerves.

Anyway, I hope your lashes today are lovely and lifted! No mascara smudges for any of us! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen